No fewer than 18 lives – including four soldiers,10 policemen and four civilians – were lost after Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists ambushed the convoy of the Borno State Civilians Relocation Committee comprising Armed Forces of Nigeria, Nigeria Police Force and Civilian Joint Task Force.
The casualties recorded were as a result of the explosion from the multiple Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted on the road by the terrorists at Barwati village.
According to a statement issued by John Enenche, Coordinator, Defence Media Operations (DMO), on Saturday night, the incident which occurred on September 25 was, however, successfully repelled by the troops.
Enenche informed that the troops in hot pursuit of the insurgents successfully recovered three vehicles.
“Two of the vehicles belonging to the Nigeria Police that were earlier carted away by the terrorists during the attack. Similarly, one BHT gun truck was also captured,” he said.
The coordinator also informed that the Nigerian Army has since deployed bomb and IED disposal teams to ensure effective route scanning and clearance to forestall future occurrence.
Meanwhile, the coordinator earlier informed that the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole under subsidiary Operation Hail Storm 2 destroyed terrorists camps and killed of scores of their fighters in the state.
He said the troops destroyed the terrorists camp in a night attack at Tongule on September 24 while their fighters were killed in daytime raids at Bone and Isari B Musa on September 25, 2020.
According to the Enenche, the strike on Tongule was undertaken after surveillance missions revealed continued assembly of the terrorists within the settlement at night time.
“Accordingly, the Air Task Force dispatched Nigerian Air Force (NAF) helicopter gunships for a night attack on the location, with their barrage of rockets neutralizing several of the terrorists.
“Bone, a settlement along the Yale-Kumshe axis, on the other hand, was attacked by a force package of NAF fighter jets and helicopter gunships after credible intelligence reports established that the location served as a staging area from where the terrorists launch attacks.
“The NAF attack aircraft engaged the location in multiple bomb and rocket runs, destroying several of their structures and neutralizing scores of terrorists. Similarly, at Isari B Musa several terrorists, who were observed both within and in bushes surrounding the settlement, were taken out as the NAF attack aircraft took turns in engaging the target area,” he stated.
